Many accidents are caused by two-wheeled vehicles, particularly in heavy urban traffic. Due to upright instability of the vehicle when stopped, it is necessary for the user to allow the vehicle to lean from its upright position and step on the ground to stabilize the stopped vehicle. Such departure from the upright position may place the user and his vehicle in the path of traffic, with the possibility of a dangerous collision resulting.
It is an object of the present invention to resolve this safety problem by providing an improved wheel assembly of the introductory-mentioned type which is compact, low in weight, made to readily replace ordinary wheels on existing two-wheeled vehicles, and simplifies engagement and disengagement of the gyro which provides upright stability to the vehicle in a stopped condition. Primary objectives of the wheel assembly are a) safety through the upright equilibrium of a two-wheeled vehicle at its inertial position (i.e. when the vehicle is not in motion), and b) energy conservation and efficiency by restarting the vehicle by energy stored in its inertial position.